The Masjid in Contemporary Islamic Africa

Examines the emergence and development of Islamic spaces in contemporary Africa that are responding to the continent's increasingly global character.

Michelle Moore Apotsos (Author)

9781108473347, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 July 2021

304 pages
23.5 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.587 kg

'In this groundbreaking study-the first monograph to consider the mosque in contemporary Africa - Michelle Apotsos analyzes the social, political and cultural dynamics that have influenced the articulation of sacred space in Muslim communities on the continent. It is a welcome addition to the literature dealing with the visual cultures of Islam in Africa.' Raymond Silverman, University of Michigan

This volume examines the emergence of alternative spaces and architectural landscapes of Islamic practice in contemporary Africa through the lens of the masjid, whose definition as a “place of prostration” has enabled Muslim populations across the continent to navigate the murky waters of the contemporary condition through a purposeful renovation of spiritual space. Drawing from multiple disciplines and utilizing a series of diverse case studies, Michelle Apotsos reflects on the shifting realities of Islamic communities as they engage in processes of socio-political and cultural transformation. Illustrated through the growth of forward-thinking and in flexible environments that highlight how Muslim communities have developed unique solutions to the problem of performing identity within diverse contexts across the continent, she re-imagines the major themes surrounding definitions of Islamic architectural space in the contemporary period in Africa and the nature of the “modernity” as it has unfolded across diverse contexts on the continent.

Preface: Framing the Masjid in Contemporary Islamic Africa
Introduction: 'A Place of Prostration': The Concept of Masjid in Contemporary Africa
1. Spaces Both Radical and Revolutionary: The Intersectional Masjid
2. Monument, Memory, and Remembrance: Rethinking the Masjid Through Contemporary Heritage Regimes
3. 'All the Earth is a Mosque': The Masjid as Environmental Advocate
4. Masjids on the Move: Mobility and the Growth of 'Portable' Islamic Space
Conclusion: Looking to the Future: The Masjid as a Space on the Edge.

Subject Areas: Islam [HRH], African history [HBJH], Architecture [AM]